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Traveling can be stressful enough without medical emergencies, thus knowing where the best hospitals in the world are located can be critical in making a decision as to where to go on vacation, or perhaps move to permanently. Others may be less interested in health care and more interested in health, in which case they can check out our recent list ranking the world’s 15 healthiest countries.

This list will not simply state the names of the top hospitals that exist in the world, but rather look at the countries which have the best average health care options. We define best by looking at the World Hospital Organization’s rankings of countries’ medical expenses, medical facilities, and in-place healthcare system.

As well, the amount of a country’s budget allocated to health spending can often be the sole statistic used in an attempt to show a country’s potential progress in the field. This is often very misleading however. For example, the United States spends the most money on its health care, has the newest technology, and the largest amount of top ranked doctors in the world, yet you won’t find it on our list. This is for a variety of reasons; the United States has a large private aspect to its health care, and while the best doctors and equipment exist, they are often restricted to those with certain types of insurance or those with larger and sometimes unlimited budgets (See: Magic Johnson).

Take Chicago for instance; if someone is shot on the west-side of the city, the nearest hospital that will treat them is 45 minutes away. Now, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of doctors in the greater Chicago metropolitan area that have the ability to treat these injuries, but the system in place bars people of a lower economic class from utilizing their potential care. So, these hospitals don’t score as highly as they otherwise would, due to their limited accessibility.

Now, then, let’s take a look at the countries that provide the best hospitals in the world.

6. Japan

Over the last 20 years, Japan has continued to pour money into its health care system, and the benefits are definitely noticeable. For one thing, health insurance is mandatory in Japan, so you must either acquire it through your employer or the national program. Both the government provided care and the private sector in Japan are very good and have the latest in medical technology. It’s home to some of the best hospitals in the world, and would be ranked higher except for the fact that the average cost of health care in Japan is much higher than the other countries on this list.

We head from the Land of the Rising Sun to Europe for our next stop on the countdown of the best hospitals in the world. Which European country is it? Head to the next page to find out.